


M25

by charlotteschaos



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-14
Updated: 2013-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-20 03:42:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/882540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlotteschaos/pseuds/charlotteschaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>RPS: Dan/Tom: Dan attempts to expand their friendship, Tom isn't sure how he feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Yeah, Tom, I'll be right there. I just want to check my email." The images came up too fast and Dan gaped at the photo manipulations of him and Tom in several compromising positions. He heard Tom move behind him, and the harsh intake of breath that told him that Tom had seen. After a few stunned moments, Dan closed the window. His face was too flushed to turn around and face Tom.  
  
"Y'know, I'm... um... really tired so I'm going to um... yeah. I'll see you later, Dan." Tom gathered his things and left the room.   
  
There would be no sleepover.  
  
\--   
  
Dan was excited that the lesson had finally finished. Not just because he was through with Geometry for the week, but because he'd managed to make arrangements to have Tom drive him home. He hadn't properly spoken to Tom other than set business since "the incident." Tom had appeared to get a sense of humor about it as extras were caught doodling such things and just laughed.  
  
It would still be another year before Dan could drive, but he used the premise of wanting to learn on and own a BMW, knowing how fascinated Tom was with them. Between his interests of fishing and cars, Dan found that the most accessible "in." Aside from which, he really did want a car, even if he was pretty content with having social interactions with the drivers. They had the best stories.  
  
Rapping on the trailer door, Dan stood shifting nervously from foot to foot, practicing what he was going to say. He'd learned to become a better actor, and this role was important. He wanted his friendship with Tom again, especially since he'd been driven away from his dresser and hairdresser friends thanks to the press. Rupert didn't seem to like him and Emma... well; she was actively dating and didn't have the time.   
  
"Come in!"  
  
Dan could hear the shower from outside, but he was a little surprised that Tom would let him come in during it given how presumably upset he'd been about the implication of them together. But it beat standing in front of his trailer, so Dan let himself in and had a seat on the brown vinyl couch. Sitting on the table before him was Tom's iPod, he picked it up and turned it on and was confronted with too much bass and drum-- rap. Ugh.  
  
"Sorry about this, the lighting went pear-shaped and so we had to do extra takes. From costar to sodding extra," huffed Tom as he turned off the water and snatched the towel from the foggy plastic door.  
  
"Did you read  _Half Blood Prince_? You'll be in most of that one." Dan tried to look away from the shower. The plastic was wrinkled and he wasn't going to see anything, even if he wanted to, which he didn't want to, of course, because they were both boys.   
  
"Actually, I did. I read all of them over the summer. I figured it was about time, right? Especially since Malfoy appears to have some actual purpose beyond evil comic relief." Tom arrived into the room with wet hair and a white towel tied around his waist.  
  
Dan caught himself watching a water droplet slide from Tom's nipple to his belly button and... then he looked away, trying to control his blush. This was not going at all as rehearsed. "I haven't read it yet. I heard Snape kills Dumbledore, though and that Harry is obsessed with Malfoy."  
  
"Yeah, it's less angsty except for the part where Dumbledore dies," Tom said as he had the decency to move to the bed area to change clothes. He pulled the curtain shut as he changed. "I hope you've had time to get out of character. I won't have you screeching at me in my car."  
  
Clearing his throat, grateful that Tom didn't seem to notice the leer, Dan stood up and turned around to look out the trailer window, as if to prove that he had absolutely no interest in seeing any more of Tom-- even if he was concealed behind the curtain anyway. "Yes, yes, I've had plenty of time and a Geometry lesson, which might well have made me even more emo, so you had better be nice to me."  
  
Tom chuckled and came out from behind the curtain in jeans and a white hoodie, as if it were his uniform. "If you start that with me, I'll drag you fishing."   
  
"And force me to listen to hip hop?"  
  
"It's my car, I choose the music." Tom grabbed his keys and winked. "But we can turn it low for the celebrity's comfort if he wishes."  
  
Dan blushed at the wink and even more at the taunting. "No, it's not...I'm not a... you've been in more movies... I just... er...."  
  
Tom opened the door and waited for Dan to step out; he was grinning and shaking his head. "I'm just taking the piss."  
  
"You're being a twat," said Dan as he brushed past Tom. He watched him lock the door and turn around with a brow perked.  
  
"Tut, tut, is that the language they teach you in Geometry?"   
  
The easy dialogue was both comforting and nerve-wracking. After not talking for so long, it was odd to find a comfortable rhythm so quickly. But then, it wasn't as if they'd had an actual tiff, either. "Well, it's been so long since you've had to take lessons; you'd be surprised at how many advances there have been in the education system."  
  
Tom punched Dan's shoulder and began leading him to the parking lot. "Oh yes, I'm sure they've discovered all manner of things in two years. New planets, gravity, the missing link?"  
  
"You wouldn't know, would you? Been so busy with fishing and driving about, I wager you've missed a lot." Dan circled to the passenger side of the black BMW that lit up when Tom hit the button on his key fob.  
  
"You sound like a jealous girlfriend." Tom slipped into the driver's side and started the car. He eyed Dan as he belted in. "You blush like a girl, too."  
  
"I'm not blushing!" He turned his head to the side so that Tom couldn't see the crimson flush of his cheeks that reflected in the car window. Tom snickered and rolled his eyes.  
  
They rode in silence as they left the lot, Dan looked out and around the familiar system of trees and gates they had to pass through. Leaving was always easier than arriving, where they had to check and make sure you were who you were and weren't a spy or tabloid or some barking mad fan. They were out on the motorway before Dan screwed up the courage to speak again. "I'm sorry I... that we haven't spoken in a while."  
  
The M25 was predictably a mess, and this conversation was bound to happen either way. Tom nodded. "S'alright, Dan. It was just a little weird. I just didn't know why you were showing them to me."  
  
"I didn't mean to. It was just in an email. Tosser thought it would be funny to send 'em to me. I didn't know they were in there and then... there they were."  
  
In the midst of downshifting, Tom spared Dan a critical glance and then focused on the road. "Oh."  
  
Dan tried to glean meaning from Tom's look, but it was somewhere between impassive and confused. "I didn't know what to say to you after that. The things you must've thought...."  
  
"Yeah..." Tom again remained distant, concentrating on following the series of brake lights ahead.   
  
"I'd really like it if we could be friends again; especially if we're going to be spending so much time together during the next film." Dan fiddled with the window button, letting it halfway down before pushing it back up. The fumes of the motorway made him want to sneeze, so he stopped mucking around with it.  
  
"They haven't cast it yet." Tom shot Dan a disapproving look for playing with the window and then inched the car forward as the traffic let up a bit.  
  
"I know, but you don't honestly think they'd replace us... unless you're just not coming back?"  
  
"I'll be back if they want me. I'm not fussed either way, really."  
  
Dan turned more towards Tom and watched his profile in the darkening car. "You'd really give it all up and fish?"  
  
Tom turned the lights on and shrugged. "That's the plan for now. I've got plenty of money saved up so that I might do loads of things. It's not everyone's goal to be on the cover of teen magazines."  
  
"It's not my goal!" Dan found himself blushing again, although this time he was irritated by the implication, even if it were true enough. He did want to be popular and famous.   
  
"I know you can't help it," said Tom, his tone mild. He released the shifter to pat Dan's hand, but caught his thigh instead. He yanked his hand back. "But you do enjoy it, I don't."  
  
Dan was surprised at the casual touch and his pulse raced. He turned away again. It wouldn't do for Tom to see how that had affected him. Dan didn't even know what that meant. "I suppose I do. I like having my picture taken and I like meeting new people."   
  
"I like meeting people, but the pictures can sod off." Tom flashed Dan a smile and winked. "You're more suited to being the 'cute boy' than I am. I like being the 'bad boy' anyway. More leeway to do what I want."   
  
"Then it all works out."   
  
They hadn't been able to move in minutes and around them cars were starting to shut off their motors. Tom rolled down the window and ducked his head out. "Bugger, a car wreck ahead." He sighed and cut the engine. "Been stuck out here before for a couple of hours before. I hope you didn't have plans."  
  
"No, just going to watch the telly and go to bed." Dan tried not to grin that they were stuck here. He turned onto his side and leaned the seat back so he could pay full attention to Tom.   
  
He looked at Dan and smirked and turned to his side but left his seat as it was. "I am sorry I was such a twat that night. It was just a bit shocking. I thought..."  
  
"Yeah. No, it's all right."  
  
"Do you ever think about it?"  
  
"That night?" Dan shifted to a more comfortable position in the seat and released the belt.  
  
"No-- yes-- I don't know... there's more of that out on the internet now, did you know?" Tom likewise let go of the belt and pressed his cheek against the headrest.  
  
"I... well, yeah, I've seen some of it."  
  
"Did you look for it?" Tom's expression was hard to see in the dark. Dan cursed that they weren't under one of the headlamps.   
  
"I might have," said Dan softly. "Did you?"  
  
Tom didn't answer. The silence filled Dan with anxiety that he'd said the wrong thing. It was the honest answer, but perhaps Tom wasn't ready for honesty. He wished that the traffic would start moving again so that he could get home and away from this awkward quiet. He'd admitted too much.   
  
"Yes," Tom said faintly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
The sound of engines starting up interrupted whatever Tom was going to answer, and he jumped. Quickly rolling onto his back, he belted in and turned the key again. The traffic started to lurch forward again, and Tom absorbed himself in navigating it.  
  
Dan hated that he was left without an answer. He wanted to badger, but he was scared to press the fragile peace they seemed to have established. He looked out the window at the passing lights of the motorway as they headed back into civilization.   
  
Tom pulled into Dan's driveway after being directed there with the aid of hand gestures and terse 'left' and 'right' orders from Dan. He cut the engine and Dan looked over at him in confusion. Dan had been surprised that Tom had even stopped the car, fully expecting to be shoved out of the door at a crawl. But the car was stopped and off.   
  
He watched the stoic look on Tom's face turn to something else entirely, something that Dan didn't understand. Tom turned to him and reached out to slide his finger along Dan's cheek. Catching his chin with his index finger, he pulled him forward and closed his eyes.   
  
Dan leaned forward, eyes still opened. He'd kissed before, but never a boy. He felt a stab of panic, but willed it away, too shocked and curious to let this moment pass. It might mean never talking to Tom again if their previous experience was any indication, but he had to at least try. Or that's what he told himself.   
  
Tom's lips were soft and warm, but still unmistakably boyish. Dan's chin scraped against a bit of stubble, the coarseness surprisingly erotic. Choosing a side, he tilted his head and parted his lips to the warm moisture of Tom's breath, Tom's mouth-- tangy and sweet as their velvet tongues brushed together.   
  
He wanted it to last longer, but after a few moments, Tom's body stiffened and his tongue went lax and he pulled away, wiping at his mouth. Tom avoided Dan's eyes at all costs, "Um, I'll... um... see you tomorrow then? Early call and all."  
  
Dan stared at him in disbelief and moved back to his seat. "Right. Early call." He waited a few more moments for Tom to say something, anything about what had just happened, but as unexpectedly as it had started, it was over. He threw open the door. "See you tomorrow," Dan said and then slammed the door shut. 


	2. Flogging a Dead Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom Felton/Daniel Radcliffe: Dan tries to learn to read Tom's mixed signals

Normally, Dan didn't wear his iPod when he came in to have his make-up done. Normally he enjoyed chatting with the make-up and hair people as much as he enjoyed chatting up most anyone. But normally, there were more chairs available and Tom could sit wherever he pleased to get the great Persian cat wig shoved on his head.   
  
Dan should've deleted those naughty photo manipulations from his hard drive, but he hadn't. They'd driven Tom away on their first sleepover and had evidently shaken him to the point of not talking to Dan for weeks. But Dan couldn't bring himself to be irked with Tom over being confused over the pictures. That night on the M25, Tom had admitted to having thought about him, but had deftly avoided answering why through luck of traffic.  
  
What did bother him was the kiss. It was a good kiss, a soft kiss, one that Dan wanted to reflect upon with fondness and would have had Tom not almost broken something trying to get away from it after.  _He initiated it, so why do I feel like I did something wrong?_  
  
The tension worked well on the set. It wasn't as if Harry Potter was supposed to like Draco Malfoy. It made it rather easy to feel the hot burn of loathing between the two characters when Dan looked at Tom, wondering why he'd bothered to kiss him only to shut him out entirely again.   
  
Not that Dan had made himself available for explanations. He hadn't worked very hard to make himself unavailable, either. He wasn't sure if Tom was being purposefully evasive, or if it just wasn't convenient to chat. Dan gritted his teeth thinking about Tom's obvious mugging for the camera with Emma for the behind-the-scenes footage. He watched it a few times, glaring at how genuine it seemed, wishing it looked more desperate.  
  
When Dan looked into the lighted mirror, he saw Tom arriving. His headphones were too loud to hear what anyone was saying, and at this point, he didn't think he wanted to know. Tom looked at the empty seat next to Dan, and winced, then shrugged gamely and headed for the chair, waving off an offer of a drink.  
  
Dan noted that much to his irritation, his iPod took the cue to play "Hope There's Someone" by Antony & the Johnsons. He skipped over a few tracks, not wanting to hear anything so sappy while Tom was sitting next to him. He settled on Bloc Party's "Banquet," deciding that fit his mood better. If nothing else, it was peppy and would keep him from getting emo in Tom's presence.  
  
He closed his eyes and bobbed his head with the beat, deciding to be as oblivious as he could until the make-up woman pinched his chin to keep him still so she could attach his scar. Dan sighed and opened his eyes, keeping his gaze fixed on himself. Peripherally, he could see Tom waving his arms, and a glance.  
  
Tom was mocking Dan's dancing, beaming brightly with his hands clamped over his ears. His eyes were closed, his lips spread in a wide, cheery grin, his head bobbing back and forth as his torso undulated in his too-big black t-shirt. As irritated as Dan was with being made fun of, Tom was so radiant and the other staffers were too amused for him to throw a wobbly right then. He pulled an ear plug out and perked a brow, prepared to offer Tom a listen when he noticed the shirt Tom was wearing.   
  
The Union Jack stood out on the black t-shirt with the Queen's eyes and mouth blocked out reading, "God Save the Queen." Given the rap music that Dan knew Tom favored, he found this to be quite unusual. Dan eyed it suspiciously, wondering if Tom was just going out of his way to mock him.   
  
"Nice shirt," said Dan. He pulled the other plug from his ear and turned his iPod off and set it on the counter.  
  
"Yeah? Thanks," said Tom. His guarded expression was unreadable, much to Dan's frustration.  
  
"Big fan?" Dan asked, turning sideways in his chair to face Tom.   
  
The bright lights made Tom's blush both more obvious and somehow harder to see. Dan squinted, as if narrowing his eyes would make the brief flush to Tom's cheeks remain.   
  
"Yeah... I've worn the shirt a few times. You didn't notice?"   
  
Tom almost sounded hurt, but Dan hadn't noticed. He'd done his best not even to look in Tom's direction, and evidently he'd done a good job. He could see the wear marks on the picture: the indelible mark of a well-worn shirt. How long had Tom been prancing about in a Sex Pistols t-shirt and for what purpose?  
  
"Guess not. They're one of my favorite bands, you know," said Dan, trying not to grin at how Tom seemed to be squirming under the attention. He really should probably let up with all of these people around, but it was gratifying to needle Tom like this after months of wondering what was so wrong with his kiss that Tom had  _wiped it away_. "What's your favorite song?"  
  
Tom's eyes widened like he'd been splashed with cold water and then his expression turned squirrelly. Dan wondered if he'd even downloaded any mp3's. "I like the anarchy one."  
  
Dan rolled his eyes and smirked, "Oh, the one about anarchy, hmm?"  
  
"Yeah, that one," said Tom.   
  
Tom was a good actor, but this wasn't the role for him. He sat up proudly and held his head up and back to allow the hairdresser to lower the wig onto it.   
  
Grinning, Dan picked up his iPod and fussed it until he reached "Anarchy in the U.K." He sat back in his chair to allow the staffers to get back to work. "I like that one too," he said as he stuck one of the plugs back into his ear.  
  
"Y'know, if you still need driving lessons... I've still got my car. I could... let you hear what it sounds like on my system, if you'd like." Tom grinned in that winning way that made it hard for Dan to resist.   
  
"I'm more into 'The Killers' now, but thanks," Dan said as he pushed the second earpiece in. He watched Tom's expression cloud over and felt a stab of guilt, but honestly, the prat deserved it.  
  
\--  
  
On set, there were few people that Dan felt like he could talk to about this. He'd realized after his initial encounter with Tom that he was attracted to him in more than a friendly way, but without Tom's participation, it wasn't really an issue. Now it seemed that Tom was participating and Dan had just missed it. In that missing, Dan wasn't sure if he even wanted it anymore, except that the recollection of the kiss before everything went pear-shaped was amongst the sweetest he had, rivaling even fumblings in Australia and more recent experimentation. Contrary to the photos being leaked to the Internet, Dan didn't have a proper girlfriend, and didn't really have time for one.   
  
Standing outside of his trailer, Dan watched celebrities trailed by PA's sailing on and off the set. In his younger days, this was an awe-inspiring occurrence; but now it was so par for the course as to be trite. But today he had a purpose for watching; he very much wanted to speak to an Adult.  
  
Alan Rickman was no good. Wise as he was on many things, he was pretty sure that he'd make Dan take the mickey over it, and would probably arrange an embarrassing situation that would call everyone's attention to his potential crush. David Thewlis appeared to be in a hurry to be somewhere else, as did Gary Oldman, but Gary caught Dan's look and tilted his head. He said something to his small entourage and crossed to Dan's trailer, appearing concerned.  
  
Dan wondered how upset he must have appeared to have caused that reaction, but then, Gary seemed to be a bit more sensitive than other actors. With a few traded words of greeting, Dan invited Gary into his trailer, taking a seat after Gary turned down his offer of a soda or snack.  
  
"You looked pretty lost out there," Gary said. He stretched out on the brown couch that came standard in actor trailers.  
  
"Did I really look that bad?" Dan rubbed his face, feeling the rough edge of his scar against his fingers. He picked at it before remembering he still had shooting to do, then forced his hand back into his lap.  
  
"You did," Gary assured him, nodding and smiling in the slightly condescending way that adults do to horny teenagers. Then he checked his watch.  
  
Taking that as a prompting to spill it, Dan said, "Tom is wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt and I know he listens to utter crap and not the Sex Pistols and I think he's wearing it to get my attention because I kissed him last year and it was a really good kiss, one of my best, but he wiped his mouth after and squealed his tires leaving!"  
  
Gary blinked slowly at this burst of information, then looked up at the plain ceiling of the trailer, mouthing random words like "Tom" and "kiss" and "Sex Pistols." When he looked back at Dan again, he was smirking. "Funny, I thought he was wearing that shirt for me."  
  
"What?" Dan sat on the edge of the cheap wooden chair that he'd brought from his small dining table in the trailer.   
  
"I did play Sid Vicious, you know. Isn't that why you started wearing Sex Pistols t-shirts in the beginning?" Gary asked.   
  
Dan wasn't sure if Gary was taking the piss or not, but he hadn't thought of it that way. He felt something squeeze tight in his chest, like all of the air had left his lungs. That must've been it. Tom fancied Gary.   
  
"Oh. Well, yes. I mean, no. Not... I didn't for  _that_  reason. But I thought... I mean, I liked the Sex Pistols but you're a brilliant actor and I just wanted to talk, I didn't want to... has he... did you kiss him?"  
  
Gary laughed, his head thrown back in amusement. It was hard not to confuse his genuine laughter with someone more manic or sinister, and Dan felt paranoid that he might be laughing at him. "No, he's never even spoken to me. We don't have any scenes together."  
  
"But he's been hanging about your trailer?" asked Dan.  
  
Again, Gary laughed, chuckling through his words, "No, you're the only one who hangs about my trailer."  
  
"Then how did you know he was wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt?" Dan asked. He could tell his voice had gone up an octave, and that Gary noticed that as well, and he flushed. It was out now, nothing for it.  
  
"Because you just told me," said Gary as he reached across to ruffle Dan's hair. "It sounds to me like he's trying to get your attention. Is that what you wanted to hear?"  
  
"Maybe." Dan flattened his hair, keeping his face down so Gary couldn't see the huge grin on his face. "Do you really think that's true?"  
  
Gary shrugged. "I don't know Tom at all, really. What do you think?"  
  
"If I knew, I wouldn't ask!" Dan beamed. Gary did make it sound pretty obvious. "I just... don't want to get hurt like that again."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Gary said, "Sometimes it's hard for people to accept that part of themselves. As actors, most of us are in some ways more equipped to deal with the possibilities. We can take on roles and examine ourselves from different view points." He paused as Dan nodded to show that he understood what he was saying. "But sometimes even actors get a bit scared when they confront something about themselves they're not sure about. Do you understand?"  
  
Suddenly the clouds parted and it all seemed so clear. Tom was just scared. Dan was, too. But unless one of them took another step, nothing would happen. Pressing his lips together, he nodded to Gary and stood. Gary followed and Dan gave him a quick hug. "Yes, I think I understand."  
  
\--  
  
Outside of the trailer, Dan could hear the shower. It was late enough in the day that the assistants were eager to leave, and once you were in amongst the inner circle of the trailers, they didn't much care whose door you were in front of. If Tom had an assistant to hang around in front of the door, they had left. Dan tried the door and found it open, so he slipped inside.  
  
Tom's trailer was just like his, only made less homey, as he didn't spend nearly as much time on set as Dan did. He was about to announce his presence when the shower cut off. Dan's mouth was suddenly dry as his mind reeled for an explanation as to why he'd just let himself into Tom's trailer.  
  
The time and energy spent searching for script lines that weren't there was enough of a stall that Dan didn't make it out of the way before Tom knocked open the swirl-patterned shower door, revealing him in all of his naked, wet glory to Dan. Whereas before he'd been expecting Dan and had his towel over the shower door, he clearly wasn't expecting company this time. He pushed his wet hair back and groped about till he found a towel on the faux marble sink.   
  
As little as Dan's rational mind cared for where his eyes went, he was inextricably drawn to the path of Tom's rippled abdomen which led to the nest of light brown curls, sparkling with droplets of water like rhinestones around the semi-hardness of Tom's cock. Immediately Dan wondered if his was as big. Tom was taller, so would his just be bigger? But then, it didn't appear to be completely hard. The foreskin remained over the head, and Dan blushed with the calculated way he was assessing Tom's excitement.  
  
He was so fixated on just why Tom was slightly aroused and why he hadn't just tossed off in the shower that Tom's yelp made him jump. All at once, the white towel was over Tom's cock and Dan's eyes averted to the small telly, which made for an unconvincing diversion as it was unfortunately turned off.   
  
Dan really wished that Tom would say something, even if it was to yell at him to get out, but he was evidently as much at a loss for a response as Dan. They stood there for a few painful moments that seemed to drag on like hours, giving Dan time to realize that Tom had dark fake wood rather than the blond fake wood which made Dan's trailer seem a little bigger. As he turned to look at the couch, he noticed that Tom had a U-shaped couch rather than the L-shaped couch and no bedroom this time.   
  
"Different trailer," Dan finally said.  
  
"Was downgraded. It's been happening over the past couple of films, I suppose. Did you come here to compare floor plans?" Tom asked. His eyes shifted nervously to where his clothes were folded on the vanity.  
  
"Erm... no." Dan realized that he'd pretty much backed Tom into a corner in his own trailer and felt incredibly foolish. Yet he wanted to continue seeing Tom like that, to examine him and to be aroused by that feeling of tingling excitement from seeing Tom's cock.   
  
Tom looked into Dan's face in imploring confusion and then back to his clothes. He exhaled slowly. "Could you at least turn around while you sort out why you're here?"  
  
"Right."   
  
Dan turned on the ball of his foot and crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to sort out what he'd wanted to say, but he hadn't arranged his thoughts into anything other than that he didn't want Tom to be afraid, and that he wanted to continue to see him naked. He was pretty sure saying either of those things would get him thrown out.   
  
"I was um... wondering if you could... give me another ride home?" Dan was impressed with his ability to improvise under pressure. He smiled to himself for being so clever.  
  
Dan heard the shuffle of fabric behind him and turned his head to look at Tom who was staring down at the bulge in his white cotton briefs. Tom shot him an outraged glare as he yanked his jeans together and hauled up the zip.   
  
"No. I've things to do," Tom said huffily.  
  
Turning around, Dan pressed his lips together, his arms still tightly crossed over his chest. "Why did you wear that shirt, Tom?"  
  
"I... I don't know. It's just a shirt. Go away," said Tom. His eyes shifted for an escape, but Dan was nearest the door. Tom sized Dan up, who was still petite in spite of a recent growth spurt, and advanced head and shoulders first like he could charge past him.  
  
It was a split second decision and Dan honestly wouldn't have know what he'd have done if you asked him out of the moment. But what he chose in that instance was to hold his arms out to halt Tom by his shoulders. He pressed his forehead to Tom's for a moment, their breath hard and fast against one another's faces.   
  
It was Tom who broke the stand off by tilting his face to the side, parting his lips as his hand slid up Dan's back to grab the back of his head to hold him in place. Dan's hands slid from Tom's shoulders, down his arms, squeezing lightly at the muscles to feel the warmth and stiffness of them till his hands reached Tom's waist and wrapped around them, pulling him closer so that their bodies pressed together.   
  
And though it was Tom who started the kiss, he was also the one who broke it, panting against Dan's face as he gazed at him in weak defiance. "We... can't..."  
  
Were Dan a bit more petulant, he might've stamped his foot, but as he'd grown out of that phase, he simply pulled back enough to look over Tom's slack visage. He felt the dribble of Tom's wet hair on his hand that had risen up to Tom's cheek. "Why can't we?"  
  
"Because... because it's wrong, it's... how would we... we just can't. I can't even... have a proper girlfriend without photographers and... now... this?" Tom said, searching Dan's eyes presumably for reason or release.  
  
Dan remembered the kerfuffle over Tom being followed in Germany, remembered how Tom had withdrawn from the public eye after that. He exhaled slowly, but kept their eye-contact. "Didn't you... don't you think of me? Of that kiss?"  
  
Tom closed his eyes and nodded slowly. Dan brushed his finger of Tom's cheek, feeling the warmth and the flexing of his jaw beneath.   
  
"Did you see 'Brokeback Mountain'?" Tom asked.  
  
"No, I... didn't catch that," Dan said. "Heard about it, though. Gay cowboys?"  
  
"Yeah," said Tom, as he looked up into Dan's eyes again for a moment and then away. "I guess I don't want... but... we can't... I just..."  
  
"Look, exams are next week and we won't be filming for the month. Why don't you... come over and we'll watch it together, yeah?" Dan asked gently.   
  
He glanced at the digital clock near the vanity and determined if Tom wasn't going to drive him home, he'd have to go. He swallowed hard and looked down the line of Tom's body and said, "All right, Tom? You can come over and see a movie, right?"  
  
"It's really depressing," Tom warned, following Dan's gaze to the clock.  
  
"Does that mean you don't want to see it?"   
  
"I..." Tom looked shifty and bit his bottom lip. "I guess we can."  
  
Deciding now wasn't the time to give Tom a way out, Dan said, "Brilliant. Next Thursday my parents will be at a party, so we'll have the house to ourselves, yeah?"  
  
Before Tom could refuse, Dan pulled away and started out the door.  
  
"I... should... I..." Tom appeared bewildered, but he wasn't saying "no."  
  
"Bring clothes to stay overnight. See you then!"  
  
\--  
  
Half an hour into  _Brokeback Mountain_ , Dan was feeling edgily aroused. As Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal kissed, he looked out of the corner of his eye at Tom, who was doing a rather good job of not looking back at him. Opening his legs a little wider, he pressed knee and thigh against Tom, who simply swallowed in response.   
  
His attention back on the screen, Dan's eyes widened as Jake was turned over and zippers were opened and. He blushed brightly, sorely wishing that he could look in two places at once, to see what was happening on the big screen telly in his basement bedroom as well as Tom's reaction to it. Dan pressed his lips together until the scene ended quickly with a grunt.  
  
Tom was staring down at their pressed-together knees, face just as flushed as Dan imagined his to be. The action onscreen was just as awkward as it was on Dan's tan leather couch.   
  
Dan scrambled for something to say, but when his mouth opened, all that came out was, "Um...."  
  
"Yeah," Tom said, pulling his knee away and shifting back against the couch.  
  
"Yeah," Dan repeated, frowning.   
  
Moments later, another more sensual sex scene started up and Dan watched, worried that this had gone too far for Tom. He comforted himself that Tom had shown up and had admitted to seeing the movie before, so certainly he knew what was going to happen.   
  
Suppressing his feelings of disappointment, Dan focused on the screen, losing himself to the story and the sudden turn of heterosexuality. He frowned a bit, not sure what this meant for the movie, but it was an engaging enough distraction that he'd scarcely noticed Tom inching back to him until Tom's hand was on the back of his.  
  
Dan tried not to startle when he felt the warmth of Tom's hand. It seemed like it only rested there for a second before it was moving again, slowly petting the back of Dan's hand, fingers brushing in a wide circle over his knuckles. Looking down with just his eyes, he watched the tender but careless way Tom's hand moved over his. It was almost unthinkingly affectionate, and the soft stroking made Dan's hair stand on end, his body tingling with nervous excitement.  
  
Without realizing it, Dan was holding his breath, too scared to move lest it frighten Tom and the soft touching might stop. After a few moments, Tom's hand was slowing, so Dan turned his hand over, leaving it palm up. Tom stilled a moment, and then he resumed drawing on the sensitive skin of Dan's palm.   
  
He'd never given much thought to the sensual difference between his palm and the back of his hand before, but Tom's slightly callused fingers brushing skin-to-skin over the heel of his palm was almost more than he could bear. The feather-light touches almost tickled and Dan wanted to close his hand to stop the build up of sensation, but more than that, he wanted to see what Tom was playing at.   
  
Soon the nonsensical patterns turned to long, slow sweeps of his fingers from finger tip to heel of palm, kissing hand to hand in the middle when they met up until Tom rested his hand complete atop Dan's smaller hand. Curling his fingers forward, Dan dared to slide his fingers between Tom's, and loosely held his hand.   
  
It took several minutes for either boy to move. Finally, Tom squeezed Dan's hand as the two men on screen finally met up again. With that encouragement and possibly because the movie was a bit dry for Dan's taste, he turned to gaze at Tom, his lips slightly parted as he gathered breath for strength and to alleviate the pounding of his heart.  
  
Tom looked at him out of the corner of his eye first, and then gradually he turned his head, looking almost sly. Raising his hand to draw the line of Dan's jaw, he tipped Dan's chin up and leaned in to press his lips to Dan's.   
  
The kiss was warm, and soft and unhurried compared to the others they'd shared. Dan tilted his head to the right and lowered his bottom lip, opening up for Tom, even though the idea of being rejected again this time tightened his chest painfully. But all he could really think of was that he needed to go, to try, to follow the mad rush of blood that echoed like a rush of water to the shore, ringing in his ears. All he could feel was the connection of soft warm velvet tongues, the press of jaw and teeth and their hands still clasped tightly, sweaty with nerves.   
  
He was kissing him, snogging Tom Felton, and it felt mad, but good. All too soon, Tom was pulling away again and Dan felt a jolt that settled in the pit of his stomach. If he left again now after all of this, if Tom ran away again... Dan didn't know what he would do, or what he would say.   
  
Hesitantly, Dan opened his eyes, scared of what he'd see. But Tom hadn't released his hand. If the past were an indication of the future, Tom should be out the door by now. When his eyes opened and focused, Tom was still there, smiling.  
  
"Good movie, yeah?" asked Tom.  
  
Dan grinned. "Yeah, good movie."   
  
Though he was eager for more, Dan realized now that Gary really was right. Tom needed time and to take things at his own pace. It would work out, but he just needed to slow down. Dan shifted closer to Tom and rested his head on his shoulder. Tom squeezed Dan's hand back in response, resting his cheek on the top of Dan's head.   
  
Between the minimal soundtrack and the warmth of their bodies, both boys drifted to sleep, snuggled up happily.   
  
\--  
  
Dan stared at the ceiling in his room, listening to Tom breathe. The rest of the evening had gone rather well, with only a few pauses in the midst of preparing dinner for snogging. They were lucky that dinner hadn't been burnt. But now that it was late and still, Dan couldn't help but wonder what all of this meant and where they could really go from here. Maybe Tom's hesitation had a point. He'd missed most of  _Brokeback Mountain_  but he had caught the end. He wondered if that was some of what Tom's resistance was. He knew it definitely made him wonder.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Tom.  
  
Dan turned his head to look at Tom laying on his side looking back at him, his normally blue eyes washed out to a dark grey in the luminescence from the streetlamps outside.   
  
"Thinking when I should be sleeping," Dan said. He really wanted Tom to cuddle with him, but again, Tom was right in worrying that someone might come in while they were asleep.   
  
"I'm surprised you can think."  
  
Rolling his eyes at Tom's retort, Dan said, "You can drop the Malfoy act when we're not on set."  
  
"I was thinking, too." Tom's expression was too obscured by shadow for Dan to get a read on what he was thinking.   
  
"About what?" Dan turned on his side and eyed Tom carefully.  
  
Tom balked. He closed his mouth and it was clear that he felt too shifty to say what he wanted to.   
  
"Nothing. You?" Tom half smiled.   
  
Dan's white sheets tangled over his bare chest. He had a flight of fancy thinking of Tom as one of those alabaster statues, laying in his bed with him.   
  
"About the movie," Dan confessed.  
  
"Me too," said Tom, sounding somewhat relieved. "Do you think you'd ever... I mean, do you think about doing that?"  
  
"What, leaving my lover and getting married to a woman? I guess that's what's expected. It would be easier. I don't know that I could, really. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to bear that sort of burden in their lives. I'm not sure I'm cut out to. But these are kinder times, I guess. There are all sorts of organizations and I think they'd be happy to add me to their ranks. I could really do some good, I think," said Dan, caressing the side of Tom's face.  
  
"I meant... what they did in the tent."   
  
Dan wasn't sure which of them could possibly be blushing more. Not that he could see it in the permanent blue hour that the streetlights reduced his room to.   
  
"Erm... I guess I've thought about it. I don't know if I could have something in my bum, though."  
  
Tom nodded slowly. "Me neither. Do you think that's all it's about though? I really... liked the snogging."  
  
"Obviously," said Dan before he could catch how arrogant that sounded. "I mean, I enjoy snogging, too." He pressed his lips together, deciding to seal off any further embarrassment that might be forthcoming.   
  
"I never snogged a boy before. Just girls. Snogging wasn't as different as I thought. But I bet something in my bum would feel... I bet it would hurt," said Tom.  
  
Dan nodded. He'd put a finger or two in there before, in the shower. It had hurt a bit, although mostly the position was awkward. He looked at Tom's t-shirt, wishing there was a reasonable way to get him to take it off. They'd both opted for t-shirts and boxers for sleeping, but Dan felt hot. He decided to bank on that and pulled his shirt off.   
  
"Yeah. Don't know about anything in me bum, really."  
  
The way that Tom was looking at him made Dan feel a little self-conscious about removing his shirt. Tom wasn't leering at all, which would've been flattering. Instead, he just looked afraid.   
  
Pulling from his resources of acting skills, Dan decided to just play it off as if it were no big deal. "Just got hot," he said, wriggling under the covers.   
  
Tom nodded to that and lay like a lump, staring off into space for a few moments. Dan could tell he was trying to make a decision, but ultimately, that decision was to keep his shirt on. Swallowing his disappointment, Dan pressed his hand between them, letting it lie flat. Tom's hand covered it and soon they had both closed the space between them and were snogging again.   
  
If Tom didn't care to remove his own shirt, he certainly didn't mind exploring Dan's chest and back, exploring his skin in soft circles, just as he had with his hand. Everything was so slow, so measured. Tom didn't just touch; he revered Dan's skin, staring at the way his fingers dragged along Dan's chest and circled around his nipple.   
  
All of the closeness and teasing, the heavy breath from Tom as he half rolled on top of Dan to kiss him again, caused Dan's prick to stiffen. In amongst the kissing and gentle explorations, he could tell that Tom was keeping his hips back purposefully. He gently scooted Tom right on top of him, feeling the length of his erection poking hard against his public bone, his own trapped between them.  
  
He'd had plenty of dry rides with girls, sliding his bits against theirs, and he'd messed pants doing it. Now it was awkward bones and mannish angles that were hard to find a good, comfortable position for. However, the pain and awkwardness of their positions soon fled as Dan felt the nudge of Tom's prick against his. The other boy must've noticed it, too, because he froze up. Before he could move far or push away, Dan canted his hips forward, sliding them together, wanting to feel the ridges of their pricks bumping and dragging against one another.   
  
Dan kept his arm around Tom's waist, sparing a glance to look at Tom's normally pale face flushed with bright red, eyes closed and lips parted in bliss. He slipped a hand down the front of Tom's chest as he kissed the underside of his chin, nipping upwards into another deep kiss through the sounds of protest and alarm as Dan touched Tom's prick directly for the first time.  
  
  
He'd never known that anything could be so intense, or so erotic. Tom went limp like dead weight on top of Dan, hiding his face in his neck as he pushed into Dan's hand, fucking it with virginal self-consciousness. For his part, Dan wished he could turn on a light so that he could really see Tom's cock, to see his hand wrapped around it in something other than the gloom.   
  
Tom moved a tentative hand for Dan's cock. He stalled, so close that Dan could feel the radiant heat from his prick, but not close enough to touch him.   
  
"Touch me, Tom," Dan whispered, tilting his hips up to encourage him to touch him, but instead, Tom continued to caress Dan's sides and push himself into his hand.   
  
Dan pulled Tom closer and wrapped his hand around both of their cocks, sliding them together dry. It felt rough, but good, because it was Tom's cock rubbing against his, and it seemed so dirty, so wrong, something they'd get into loads of trouble for, which just made Dan want to do it more.  
  
He heard the heralding sighs and moans coming from Tom, and Dan felt a thrill of excitement that he was about to have done it-- to have gotten Tom Felton off in his bed. He'd snogged him, he'd seduced him, and now here he was with his cock next to Tom's and his hand fisting them both, and they were going to get off together.   
  
Dan cried out first. A burst of energy popped behind his eyes and his groin pulled as he felt the coarse wet splatter of his come on his hand. Then Tom's cock twitched, spitting out a release into Dan's hand and over his abdomen.   
  
Tom gave Dan a vulnerable look that made Dan wonder if he'd done the right thing, or if Tom was going to flee in terror again. Even if he did, Dan knew that he'd had the most intense moment in his young life, and that it wasn't with a girl. Even if Tom left and would have nothing to do with him now, at least he knew this about himself. Knew how much he wanted and needed it.   
  
Boneless on top of Dan, Tom didn't move. He just rested there for a long, long time. Then he kissed Dan softly, but with an edge of passion and even fear. He rolled off onto his side and grabbed a few tissues from the nightstand to clean himself off.  
  
After giving Dan another quick kiss, Tom turned over and fell asleep within minutes. Dan wriggled in behind him. Cleaning ladies be damned; he was spooning Tom and that was that.  
  
Previous portion is this story, M25. This is the sequel. 


End file.
